Mark your calendar! India's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 campaign will start with a mouth-watering group stage clash with arch-rivals Pakistan on March 6 (Sunday). The match will be telecast live and fans can stream live on online platforms.
The 12th edition of cricket's oldest tournament started on March 4 with the West Indies beating hosts New Zealand in the opening match. But the India vs Pakistan match at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui is the most anticipated fixture, even eclipsing the one featuring the most successful side in the tournament's history, six-time champions Australia and their Ashes rival England on March 5.
Here's all you need to know about India Women vs Pakistan Women match
Preview
To start with, as things stand now, no fans will be allowed at the venue of the India women vs Pakistan women as New Zealand continues to impose stringent COVID-19 rules in the country. But that should not dampen the spirits. After all, it's an India vs Pakistan fixture.
On Monday, six days before India vs Pakistan class, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said that teams will not be kept in the confines of bio-bubbles during the month-long tournament, but urged players to be "sensible" in the "managed environment" so that the event passes off without a COVID outbreak.
With that fair warning, here's a look at how the India women vs Pakistan women match-up looks like:
India women have never lost an ODI match against their Pakistani counterparts. It's 10-0 in the head-to-head record, including 3-0 in World Cup. In their last meeting, India defeated Pakistan by 95 runs despite posting only 169/9. In that ICC Women's World Cup 2017 match at Derby in England on July 2, Ekta Bisht produced bowling figures of 5/18. The left-arm spinner also claimed magical figures of 5/8 in their previous meeting, in a qualifier match for the tournament, some five months earlier as India dismissed Pakistan for 67 all out.
Bisht, now 36, is not in the India squad for the 2022 World Cup, but India remain the firm favourites against Pakistan. And there's a gap in collective class too. India are fourth in the ICC Women's ODI rankings, while Pakistan are eighth.
India, who lost to England by nine runs in 2017 final, will hope to start the 2022 campaign with a good win against Pakistan. But, despite being the overwhelming favourites, Mithali Raj & Co will be cautious, to say the least. Pakistan women's cricket team has some fine talents and seasoned operators, who will be motivated enough to produce their best against India. What Babar Azam & Co did against Virat Kohli & Co in the recent Men's T20 World Cup should inspire Bismah Maroof & Co.
Best Performances
India: Finalists in 2005, 2017. This is India's 10th appearance in the tournament.
Pakistan: 5th in 2009. This is Pakistan's fifth appearance in the tournament.
Match and telecast details
Match: 4th match of ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022, between India and Pakistan
Date: March 6 (Sunday), 2022
Time: 6:30 AM IST/ 02:00 PM local
Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
TV Channels: Star Sports 2/HD, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 1 Hindi.
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar
In Pakistan: PTV Sports, Asports
Fans can also watch in-match clips and highlights on Facebook (@ICC, @cricketworldcup).
Squads
India: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav.
Pakistan: Bismah Maroof (c), Nida Dar (vc), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz.
India's Complete Schedule At ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022
March 6, 6.30 AM: Pakistan vs India, Tauranga;
March 10, 6.30 AM: India vs New Zealand, Hamilton;
March 12, 6.30 AM: India vs West Indies, Hamilton;
March 16, 6.30 AM: India vs England, Wellington;
March 19, 6.30 AM: India vs Australia, Auckland;
March 22, 6.30 AM: India vs Bangladesh, Hamilton;
March 27, 6.30 AM: India vs South Africa, Wellington.
